Liquid sampling device



Dec. 22, 1953 A. SEGELHORST ET AL 2,663,192

LIQUID SAMPLING DEVICE Filed Sept. 17. 1949 INVENTORS Augusr L. Segelhorsf Merrill F. Spurlock Patented Dec. 22, 1953 LIQUID SAMPLING DEVICE August L. Segelhorst, Taft, and Merrill F.

Spurlock, Bakersfield, Calif.

Application September 17, 1949, Serial No. 116,284

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to liquid sampling devices and more particularly to liquid sampling devices for tanks, or storage vessels which contain a plurality of strata, of different liquids, useful for obtaining a sample of the dif ferent liquids proportional to the total of each volume of liquid in the tank.

In the taking of a fluid sample from a storage tank or container in which a number of strata of difierent liquids are present, the great est difliculty lies in introducing the sampling device into the storage vessel and admitting liqvolume and provided with means for opening a wall of the tube longitudinally throughout its length to permit a composite sample of the liquid to flow transversely into the tube, and means for maintaining the wall of the tube in a closed position both before and after the sample has been taken.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of the specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a liquid sampling device according to the present invention installed in a tank, or storage container, which is broken away to show the disposition of the device therein.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the upper portion of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, showing the sampling device in an open position.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the lower portion of the liquid sampling device shown in Fig. 1, showing a conduit arrangement between the sampling device and the outside of the tank. Fig. 4 is an alternative embodiment of the liquid sampling device, in accordance with the present invention, showing the liquid sampling device in opened position.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 4, showing the sampling device in closed position.

Referring now to the drawing, and in particular to Fig. 1, there is shown a storage tank, or vessel, Ill, adapted to contain and store a particular liquid, such as crude oil, but which in addition to the desired crude oil liquid may contain other liquids, such as water-in-oil emulsions, sludge, and also salt water. These different liquids, due to their varying densities, will normally form stratified layers of the different liquids, and, in order to obtain a respresentative sample of the proportional volume of each of the liquids within the tank, a liquid sampling device, or tube, designated generally as l I, having a uniform cross-sectional area and'of a length at least equal to the depth of the liquids in the tank, is vertically disposed within tank It). Sampling device H, in turn, is arranged to be seated on a base member I 2, which may be of any suitable configuration to form a solid seating means on the bottom of tank l0.

As shown, sampling device, or tube, ll comprises a wall l3 which serves as an enclosing member for the sampling device H which, in the embodiment shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, isa helically wound strip of general cylindrical configuration, but which may be of square or elliptical cross-section, so long as the area of the tube is uniform throughout its length. In this embodiment it will be noted that wall l3 has .a pair of edges l4 and I5 which extend substantially longitudinally throughout the length of. the sampling device and which mate together to form'an enclosed tube. In the present embodiment the wall [3 is preferably made of spring material, such as springsteel, and wound so that the edges I 4 and I5 are normally biased to a closed position, .In orderto provide the desired longitudinally extending slot, or slit, throughout the length of the sampling tube, lifting means such as bail i6 is welded to the upper portion of wall 13. The upper portion of bail i6 is provided with an extended rod ll adapted to pass through the top of tank I 0 and, in turn, is provided with a handle member l8; Rod I! has a hook l9 formed along the length of the rod adapted to interconnect with a hook element 20 mounted near the top of tank Ill when handle I8 is lifted and turned. The interaction of hooks l9 and 20 is best seen inFig. 2, wherein wall l3 has been expanded so that a longitudinalslot defined by the edges l4 and I5 of wall i3 is open to the interior of tank l0. As shown, edge iii of wall member I3 is preferably provided with sealing means, such as rubber, or other sealing material which is inert to the liquids in the tank,

As best seen in Fig. 3, stationary base member I2 is preferably mounted on the bottom of tank It by suitable means, such as the three screws 22, and is provided with a sealing ring 23, upon which one end of tube II is seated. In the present arrangement, it will be noted that wall I3 is permanently fixed to base member I2 by means of an angle 24 which alsoprovides an interconnection for conduit means 25 communicating between the interior of the liquid sampling device I I and the outside of tank II). It will be understood that angle 24 is permanently mounted on base I2 by welding or other suitable means.

Valve means 25 is provided for the-conduit means 25 in order to provide a closed or liquid" retaining condition for the interior of the liquid sampling device.

Operation of this embodiment is as follows: When it is desired to obtain a sample of the liquid strata. in tank IILhandle I8 is lifted and. turned through an angle of 90 degrees so that hooks I9 and 2c are engaged as shown in Fig. 2'. Under this condition, wall I3 of tube II is placed under tension, so that the slot defined by edges I4 and I will be opened throughout the length of the liquid sampling device so that the fluid may enter the interior of the tube. Since the device inthis embodiment is arranged to be permanentl fixed within the tank, there will be no intermixing of the various liquid strata bythe introduction of the sampling device, and, due to the relatively small amount of displacement required in moving the tube from an opened to a closed position throughout its entire length, little or no mechanical mixing of the liquids will occur. After the liquid sample has been admitted to the interior of the-liquid sampling device, the handle is again lifted to clear hook is from hook 2D, and, due to the normal biasing force of the spring steel of which wall I3 is constructed, the tube will be. returned to its normally closed position. The interior of the tube will be. sealed. against any intrusion of thetank fluid, as well asloss of the fluid sample to the tank,.by the sealing action of'sealing material ZI interacting between edges I4 and I5 of wall I3. After the liquid sampling device has been closed to the tank, the valve means 26 on conduit means 25 may be openedfor the withdrawaliof the volume within the sampling tube toa point outside the tank.

Referring now to the alternative embodiment shown in Figs. 4 and..5, liquid sampling. device II in thisexample comprises. a pair of elongated arcuate wall members 27 having a pair of edges 28 and 29 which-are adapted to be. moved relative to each other so that longitudinal extendingslot may. be provided throughout the entire length of the sample tube. II. However, in this particular arrangement a. pair-of support means 30 parallel to the tube are provided for supporting hinge meanssuch aslinkage elements 3i, which are pivoted on support means 30. Linkage means 31 in turn providea hinged connection for walls 21. While support means 30 may be mounted directly on tank II), it is preferably 'arranged to engage base member Ii." so that the tube II is in a centrally-disposed position when it is lowered to be seated upon base I2.

In order to provide the desired movement of walls 21', a bail means 32 having a lifting handle 33 and adapted to pass through a pair of'loops 34 mounted on the outside edges of walls 21 is provided with a pair of cross-members 35'. Cross-members 35' are adapted to engage loop members 34 and thereby lift wall members 3T.

As shown, communication with the interior of tube I I is provided by conduit means 36, which is in turn provided with valve means 31 for opening and closing conduit means 36. As best seen in Fig. 5, sealing means 38, such as rubber, or other resilient materials, is provided between the mating edges 28 and 29 of walls 21. In addition, a sealing. means is. providedfor the lower end of' tube II by a ring of'resilientmaterial 39 mounted upon base member I2.

In the operation of the embodiment shown in Figs. 4 and 5, it will be apparent that with the support means 36 engaging base member I2 as shown in Fig. 5, walls 2"! will be biased into a normally closed position due to the weight of the tube so that the lower end of tube II is seated on the sealing ring 39. When it is desired to obtain a sample of the stratified liquids in tank It, handle 33 is lifted, walls 2i are pivoted on linkage means 3| and thereby open the slots defined by edges 28' and 29 throughout the entire length of. the tube II. Due to the simultaneous openin of the longitudinal slot throughout the length, there will be little or no tendency forthe stratiiied liquids to be intermixed during the opening and closing operation and, hence, a true, representative sample oiv the liquid may be obtained. After the sample hasbeen admitted to the interior of tube ii, the handle is lowered, permittingv the weight of. the tube to bias the walls '23 into an engaging position so that the edges 28 and 29 are sealed by sealing means 38 and th lower end reseated on ring 39. Valve means 3'5 may then be opene'dto permit the taking. of a sample through conduit means 36.

While modifications and. changes'will occur to those skilled in the art, such modifications and changes may be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and we therefore intendv to limit'the invention only withinthe scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A liquid: sampling device. for a tank having strata of different liquids comprising an elongated sampler tube. having. one end rigidly attached to thebottcin of said tank, said tub-acornprising a resilient strip helically wound to form a cylindrical tube of uniform cross-sectional area throughout its length, the edges of the turns of said helix being biased to abutting relation when in normal positionby theresilient-characteristic of said strip, lifting means for applying tension to said-strip to cause said turns to be spaced apart andadmitasaniple of. saidliduid strata, conduit means between the interior of said tube near the bottom thereof and the outside. of said tank,,and valve means for opening and closing said conduit means.

2. A' liquid sampling device for a tank containing Stratifiedliquids comprising a stationary base member secured to the bottom and adjacent the side of said tank-,an elongated sampler tube having one" end secured to said base member, said sampler tube comprising a resilient strip helically wound to form a tube of substantially uniform cross-sectional area throughout its length, the edges of said strip being biased to an abutting relationship by the, resilient characteristic of said strip,. liftingmeans secured to the upper end of said sampler tube for applying tension and rotation to said'strip to cause said edges to be spaced apart for the admission of a. liquid sample repre sentative. of the proportion of each liquid stratum to the total volume of liquid in said tank, conduit means connected between the interior of said tube adjacent said stationary base member and the outside of said tank, and valve means for opening and closing said conduitmeans.

3. A liquid sampling device for a storage tank containing liquids stratified into two or more layers comprising a stationary base member mounted on the bottom of said tank, a normallyclosed elongated sampler tube having one end secured to said base member, said tube comprising a helically-wound strip of resilient material, said strip being wound to form the enclosing wall for said tube to provide a uniform cross-sectional area throughout the length of said tube within which a sample of the stratified layers of liquids in said tank may b enclosed in proportion to their percentage volume of the total liquid volume in said tank, the edges of said helicallywound strip being normally biased by the resiliency of'said material to an abutting relationship throughout the length of the helix, lifting means connected to said strip adjacent the upper end of said sampler tube for displacing said edges of said helically-wound strip to an open position 6 throughout the tubes length to admit liquid laterally from said tank into said sampler tube,-

sealing means between the opposed edges of said strip to prevent leakage between the interior of said tube and said tank when said edges are closed, conduit means between th enclosed portion of said sampler tube and the outside of said tank, and valve means for opening and closing said conduit means.

AUGUST L. SEGELHORST.

MERRILL F. SPURLOCK.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 892,944 Drawe' July 7, 1908 1,205,888 Haas Nov. 21, 1916 1,606,104 Schlueter et al Nov. 9, 1926 1,739,731 Osborne Dec. 17, 1929 1,953,886 McConnell Apr. 3, 1934 2,004,568 Carpinello June 11, 1935 2,164,498 Clark July 4, 1939 

